Black Top Crew Volunteer – Jim Lyman

Riding high on top as an overhead crane operator isn’t the only time he does it as a job. Jim Lyman does it in a different way every minute he spends as a volunteer with a national champion football club.

Like many other Raiders volunteers, Lyman was just one of the fans in the stands watching the Raiders play on Saturday nights. A neighbor that lives right behind him saw him at the games and asked him if he would like to help out with the equipment setup at practices. That neighbor was the Raiders’ own Mike Petersen.

Eventually his involvement at practice led him to being part of the Black Top Crew at the games. Lyman has also done his share of recruiting. He got Andy and Brad Berger to try out with the team this past winter. Andy didn’t make the cut but still joined up as a volunteer and you can see Brad on the sidelines during the game wearing jersey number 67.

When asked what the Black Top Crew does, Lyman went down a whole laundry list of items.

“We do the setup before the fans come,” he said. “The small kiosk beer tents that are seen around Horlick Field, we set them up.” Lyman was quick to add, “We also make sure they don’t run out of beer either.”

Lyman said there are about ten members of the Black Top Crew that work to get ready for the games. Besides setup and being runners for various positions, they also play an important role in guest relations.

“We wear these bright orange shirts that say ‘staff’ on the,” he points out. “When someone has a question about something, we’re usually the first ones they ask,” he said.

Although not directly responsible for crowd security, Lyman said the Black Top Crew does help out.

“One of our biggest jobs during the game is making sure that the kids who come are there to watch the game and keep them off the baseball diamond or running around under the stands,” he said.

Lyman lives in Racine and is employed by Nucor Cold Finishing Company of Wisconsin.

As far as not being paid for his services with the Raiders, Lyman replied, “What pay? We are all volunteers here and its all about the people helping out and giving back to the community.”

Lyman likes spending his time with the Raiders club.

“The best part is we are one big family here,” he says. “You get to know different people of different ages.”

Asked if he has plans to leave, Lyman’s answer was pretty much standard of all the current Raiders volunteers.

“As long as I can keeping on going, and as long as they need me, I’ll keep coming,” he stated.